Albion Online Explains the Zone and Flagging System

With the Closed Beta of cross-platform sandbox MMORPG Albion Online now underway, developer Sandbox Interactive takes some time to explain their Zone and Flagging systems – two core structures in Albion Online that are aimed at keeping PvP fun and challenging for everyone.

Like most MMOs, Albion Online provides specific zones for both PvE and PvP activities – a Green Zone and a Red Zone respectively. The Green Zone effectively protects beginners and gives non PvP players the freedom to move about without being killed by other players. This system works in tandem with the Flagging system, which has replaced their initial penalty system for attacking other players. In Albion Online, before being able to attack others in PvP, players have to “flag” themselves as hostile, during which time they are immobile for a minute. This discourages ganking, and it becomes easier for players to decide where to go and what to do based on the number of hostile players in an area.
Even with both systems in place, there is still a big difference between an area with no PvP and an area with full-loot PvP, which has led them to include another zone: the Yellow Zone. Here, instead of potentially losing all your hard-won gear, you lose a significant amount of durability instead. This should help those who are not familiar with PvP to get a taste before wandering into the Red Zones, or worse, the Death Zones – where the full-loot system and absence of the flagging system means certain death for all but the most hardened players.

For more information on the ins and outs of the Zone and Flagging systems, read the developer post by Sandbox Interactive Founder and CEO Stefan Wiezorek here.